China confirms 60 H7N9 cases, 13 deaths
Bird flu vaccine ‘many months’ away - US experts
CHINA: US public health experts said developing a vaccine for the
H7N9 strain of bird flu could take “many months”, as China seeks to
control an outbreak which had killed 13 people.
Chinese authorities have confirmed 38 human cases of H7N9 avian
influenza since announcing nearly two weeks ago that they had found the
strain in humans for the first time.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Timothy Uyeki and
Nancy Cox of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
said worldwide efforts to develop a vaccine had started, but it would
take time.
“Even if new vaccine manufacturing technologies... are utilised, the
process from vaccine development to availability will probably take many
months,” said the article posted on the journal’s website. China said
this week it expects to have a vaccine ready in seven months. Chinese
health officials say they do not know exactly how the virus is
spreading, but it is believed to be crossing to humans from birds.
The journal article said the outbreak was a “seminal event” that
raised global concerns and it urged China to enhance surveillance.
“It might herald sporadic human infections from an animal source...
or it might signal the start of an influenza pandemic,” the article
said. Experts fear the prospect of such viruses mutating into a form
easily transmissible between humans, which has the potential to trigger
a pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that there was no
evidence of human-to-human transmission. Shanghai, which has the
majority of confirmed cases, was the first to halt trading in live
poultry and cull birds last week, followed by other cities in eastern
China -- the site of the outbreak. AFP
CHINA: During the 24-hour period ending 5 p.m. on Sunday,
China confirmed 11 new cases of H7N9 avian influenza, with two new
deaths reported in Shanghai Municipality.
The National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a daily
update on H7N9 cases that so far the country has reported a total of 60
H7N9 cases, including 13 that ended in fatalities.
Central China's Henan Province has reported its first two infection
cases.
So far, a total of 24 cases, including nine ending in fatalities,
have been reported in Shanghai.
Sixteen cases, including one death, have been reported in Jiangsu
Province, and 15 cases, including two deaths, in Zhejiang Province.
Beijing has reported one case, and Anhui Province two cases, with one
death.
China officially confirmed the occurrence of human infection with the
H7N9 virus late last month.
Those who have had close contact with people infected by H7N9 have
been placed under medical observation and have exhibited no abnormal
symptoms, the commission said. According to the commission, China's
confirmed H7N9 cases are isolated and there has been no sign of
human-to-human transmission. -
- XINHUA
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